Building a healthier routine

by Ben Hickey on Thursday 26 July 2018

Let’s face it: a lot of us want to get perfect health habits overnight. Wouldn’t it be great to spring out of bed completely rested, pluck your low-carb breakfast from a biodynamic fruit tree and be off on your morning triathlon in time to see the sunrise?

But the reality is that sudden, massive changes to our lifestyles aren’t just hard to make happen – they’re also hard to sustain. The best way to create a healthier routine is to build it up over time.

Check out our tips on how to make healthier habits you’ll actually stick to.

Start small

As the old cliché goes, every journey starts with a single step.

If you’re keen to feel healthier and happier, start by trying a small change, or building on something you already do. If you swim once a week, why not try adding an extra five laps? And if you don’t swim at all and you’d like to give it a shot, why not start with one lap and see how you go from there?

Lowering the barrier to entry makes it a lot easier to actually take the plunge. Getting started is the trickiest part – once you’ve got going, your feelings of pride and enjoyment will do most of the heavy lifting.

Look at the bigger picture

One of the great things about working on your wellbeing is that it tends to gather momentum. When we build up a healthy routine in one area of our life, other areas tend to follow.

Here are some of the big things to look out for:

• sleep • nutrition • movement • relationships • hobbies and passions

Block out time

When it comes to creating healthier habits, a little organisation can go a long way.

Never find the time to go on that run? One great way to help yourself do the exercise you want is to make a time in your calendar or diary. View it as an appointment that’s just as important as if you were committed to meeting someone else. That way, it’ll be easier to hold yourself to account to get your exercise done. You won’t have to think about it outside the times you set.

Just remember to be realistic. Four hours a day at the gym might sound doable when you’re feeling inspired, but it’s important to think about all the other things in your life and cut yourself some slack.